


You Should See Me In A Crown

by ymnfilter



Series: ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* naru's quarantine and chill fics *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, CEO Felicity Smoak, F/M, Felicity Smoak Loves Oliver Queen, Fluff, Love at First Sight, Oliver Queen Loves Felicity Smoak, Prince Oliver Queen, they're both whipped for eachother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:08:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23894335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ymnfilter/pseuds/ymnfilter
Summary: Prince Oliver of Starling comes home from war after five long years. He meets Felicity Smoak, a beautiful, bubbly, blonde hell bent on helping the world with her tech.They fall in love, but what happens when there is a conspiracy to destroy Starling? And how will Oliver keep his family and his people safe?
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Series: ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* naru's quarantine and chill fics *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1720573
Comments: 36
Kudos: 131





	1. Find Hope In The Hopeless

**Author's Note:**

> again, this is something i started in 2018, and wrote like half a chapter. I read it again and felt it had a lot of potential so i thought, why not? this is very loosely based on the love story of meghan markle and her husband, plus the plot of the first season of arrow. i hope you give it a chance. i especially like my writing in this chapter. 
> 
> if you want to know when i update, or just want to talk or send me a prompt, 
> 
> tumblr: [@ymnfilter](https://ymnfilter.tumblr.com)  
> twitter: [@ymnfilter](https://twitter.com/ymnfilter)

Oliver Queen was the second and the youngest son of King Robert the III and his wife Queen Moira of the country of Starling. And unlike his older brother Theodore Queen, he was a complete wild child all throughout his years of education. Wild parties, girls, alcohol, tattoos, as long as it didn’t irreparably damage the royal family’s reputation, Oliver Queen probably did it.

It was when he was 22 that Robert Queen finally got tired of his youngest son’s borderline delinquent ways and decided to enlist him into the army. After all, it wasn’t unusual for members of the royal family who weren’t directly next-in-line to the throne to serve their country in some way or other.

Moira always said that she would’ve been much more reluctant to agree to that decision if she’d known that by making her son join the army, she wouldn’t even get to see her beautiful boy for the next five years. As it was, Ollie Queen joined the army with much apprehension, not wanting to part ways with all the comfort and luxury he’d been used to for the past 20 or so years, and he came back 5 years later with much of the same apprehension, only this time feeling reluctant to take his place as the Prince of Starling after having found a place just for himself as ‘Oliver’ in the midst of all the war and destruction.

Oliver Queen was honorably discharged from the army after having served in his group as a Corporal for 18 months. Now, he was back, and he was expected to represent his family through a set of rules and etiquettes that he hadn’t used for the past five years. Suffice to say, coming back home had been intimidating. But, Oliver’s mother had been wonderfully understanding. Giving him space when he asked for it, refraining herself from asking him to _relax_ his posture every few minutes. She even started to slowly re-teaching him the proceedings and protocols of the family. It took months, disappointing and oftentimes frustrating months, but Oliver finally felt like he was ready to re-join humanity.

Or whatever was the equivalent of him taking on all his previous royal duties was.

Naturally, his very first task had been to attend a rather public fundraiser. At least, the funding was for a cause he could relate to. The main goal of the fundraiser was to raise enough money for veterans that had been injured to get the treatment they deserved, including but not limited to prosthetics and nerve damage and to collect enough money for the research department of a company named ‘Smoak Tech’ so that they could continue to make high-tech but affordable equipment for people (especially those in public services) with disabilities. 

Oliver had been lucky enough to come out the other side of war only with excessive scarring and a semi-busted knee. But there were a lot of soldiers he knew who had lost a lot more, like John Diggle, a man who had become a lot more than just brother-in-arms, had lost the function of his left arm because of nerve damage caused by a bomb explosion in close proximity.

Oliver is pretty sure the only reason why he even agreed to attend this over-the-top fundraiser was because the cause had hit so close to home. He had invited Digg as his plus one, when Theo had told him he wouldn’t be able to attend because of some or the other of his crown-princely duties. Oliver wasn’t necessarily looking forward to an event that was sure to be a PR catnip, but he wasn’t completely dreading it either. He was sure he would be in his element amongst all his military brothers.

  
  


Felicity was a nervous wreck as she gave herself a final look in the mirror. She smoothed down cherry red power suit she had on for the tenth time in the past five minutes, and went through the speech in her head one more time.

She was going to be okay. She was charming, and strong, and had done this a hundred times before… Who was she trying to fool? This was so much more important to her than anything she had done before. All Felicity had ever wanted to do, was make a change in this world. And with her natural clumsiness and horrible hand-to-eye coordination, the only way she had been able to achieve that was through helping the people that helped change the world. The idea of veteran-care had always been close to her heart, ever since she lost her father to severe PTSD, and her friend Sara joining the army didn’t do anything to dissuade that passion.

Now, at 23 years old, she had managed to successfully create a company with the help of her friend and partner Zari Tomaz, that specialised it prosthetics and nerve-damage treatment for the disabled and which also specialised in unique equipment that would be needed for the veterans that had fought for their country and all its citizens. She took a deep breath in, puffed her hair slightly and gave her reflection in the mirror a smile.

Tonight, at the Veterans’ Fundraiser, she had been asked to give a speech before the hosts held a silent auction to raise enough money to fund further research that was being done by her applied-sciences department on creating chips that would theoretically restore all movement that had been hindered or even had been completely paralyzed by nerve damage. She was excited. But, she was also dreading the public speaking. Felicity jumped when there was a knock on her hotel room, but relaxed when Zari poked her head in through the doorway,

“Hey, you ready-” Zari cut herself off, eyes widening at Felicity’s outfit,

“What? What’s wrong? Too bright?” Zari stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. She was wearing a very pretty baby blue A line dress that bought out her olive-skin tone, and she shook her head at Felicity,

“Felicity, you can’t wear that to a fundraiser.” She sighed. Felicity’s shoulders slumped,

“I knew it. It is too bright. I should’ve gone with the navy-”

“No! The problem isn’t the color. Red looks amazing on you. The problem is that it’s a suit. You can’t wear a suit to a fundraiser. Where are all your gorgeous dresses?” Felicity hesitated, fingering the button of her blazer,

“Are you sure? Cause I really want to go for ‘serious-business’ woman rather than my usual professional-except-maybe-slightly-too-short-skirt look.” Zari rolled her eyes,

“Trust me. A dress with a may-be too short skirt will do wonders to schmooze out all that money that we need to collect for the applied sciences department.” Felicity sighed, 

“I suppose you’re right.” She took off her blazer, and stripped down to her underwear whilst Zari went through her closet. She took out the deep green sheer cocktail dress with a peekaboo neckline Felicity had bought just last month, and Felicity had to admit that she wasn’t really mad at the choice. It was conservative enough that she didn’t show too much skin, which seemed appropriate considering she needed to be taken seriously during the entire event, but at the same time it also had a playful hemline and strategic cutouts that were very her.

All in all, Felicity didn’t argue much before putting on the dress.

“Hey,” Zari said, noticing Felicity’s hand shake as she tried to zip up the dress, she walked closer, and zipped the dress for her, “Don’t worry, too much. You’re going to do great.”

“I just don’t get why I have to do the speech.” Felicity sighed, “Between the two of us, we both know you speak better.”

“True, but that’s only because you tend to go off in tangents.” Zari smiled, “That’s besides the point anyway. You are the name and face of this company. I’m but the silent partner.”

Felicity scoffed, wanting to tease despite that sentence being more true than anything else, “Please. You’re anything but silent.”

Zari rolled her eyes at her attempt for a joke, and then looked at the clock hanging right above the hotel’s dresser,

“Come on, we’re going to be late.” Zari said, pulling Felicity along out of the room, “And we can’t be late to a fundraiser we helped organize.”

Oliver stood ramrod straight as the people around him mingled with one another. He had been approached multiple times in the half an hour he had been here, and he had dealt with all the inane small talk quite nicely if Diggle’s approving nod was any indication. His best friend was right beside him the whole time, only ever leaving his side for the jumbo prawns and shrimp cocktails, which even Oliver had to admit were really good.

And Oliver had ridiculous standards when it came to food. Surprisingly, cooking had been one of the only passions of his from before the army that had survived the last five years of brutality and nightmares. This was his first public appearance since his return from his post in Kasrian, and it seemed like little by little the people were seeing those changes too. The fundraiser had been relatively easy to bear so far. The paparazzi at the entrance had been kindly asked to keep the flashes on their cameras off so as to not trigger any of the soldiers that would be attending the event, the venue was huge, and open enough with wide windows so that claustrophobia wasn’t an issue. Oliver had to admit, clearly a lot of thought had gone into planning this event, and he was grateful to anyone who had invested so much of their time to make this fundraiser go as seamlessly as possible.

Moira had said that the biggest contributors to the veterans community for the past couple of years and the host of this particular event was a company called Smoak Tech, run by two young women. Oliver had been impressed, and even more curious when he heard that the younger of the two co-ceos was only 23.

He smiled as two old men made their way towards him. He recognized them vaguely, and besides him Diggle whispered in his ear,

“Mr. Rand and Mr. Stone. They’re councilmen from the congress.” Immediately, Oliver’s smile turned more assured, and he thanked Diggle with a silent nod. God only knows where Oliver would be without that man.

“Mr. Rand, Mr. Stone. It’s certainly been a while.” He greeted them both, and he could tell they were surprised that he remembered them,

“Your highness. It’s an honor.” Mr. Rand said, and bowed his head, “We had heard you had returned. It’s good to see you in good health.”

“Yes. Thank you.” Oliver raised a brow, “I’m assuming you’ll be contributing to this charitable cause?”

“But of course.” Mr. Stone smiled, “After all, if there is anyone in this country that deserves our thanks, it’s the veterans.” His smile slipped, “And the royal family of course.” he hastened to add,

“Of course.” Oliver played along, though he wasn’t sure why the Queen family deserved anyone’s thanks, but then again, that might just be his biased opinion. Just then, before Oliver could have to continue to make painful small talk, the mike standing on the raised area of the venue switched on, and Oliver heard a woman clear her throat,

“Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen.” The woman smiled, she looked to be in her early 40s, “Thank you for coming together and joining us for this charitable cause. May I present to you, Felicity Smoak, co-CEO and founder of Smoak Technologies.”

The room clapped politely, but it took Oliver a second to follow everybody else’s lead because in the moment, possibly the most beautiful woman Oliver had ever seen took up the stage. Her blonde hair was short and artfully curled, bouncing and falling over her shoulders in delicate waves. Her red lip popped when she smiled nervously at the crowd, and Oliver unconsciously mimicked her movements when she licked her lips before starting her speech,

“This nation will remain the land of the free as long as it is the home of the brave, said Elmer Davis.” Felicity started, “Good evening, ladies and Gentlemen, respected veterans, councilmen of congress, Prince Oliver Queen of Starling,” Oliver’s breath caught when she looked vaguely in his direction for a second while greeting him, before he realised how juvenile his reaction was and he cleared his throat and looked away, instead taking in the room, noticing how she had captured the attention of every attendee with just a few words.

Her speech was short, thanking the people for attending the event, explaining what she and her team were going to accomplish with the money they collect tonight. It sounded a bit too good to be true to Oliver, but then again, he wasn’t the one running a tech company at 23. Instead, he focused on acting relaxed, like he wasn’t aware of every entry and exit point in that particular building at all times. He spaced out when Felicity stepped down from the podium only for some other guy to announce the start of the auction. It was only when he felt Diggle nudge him with his elbow, did Oliver realise that he was staring at where Felicity was talking to a couple of soldiers a few feet away from where he was standing. He jumped, and turned to glare at Digg only to find the other man openly smirking at him.

“You’re smitten.” Digg observed smugly, “I never thought I would ever see Oliver Queen smitten.”

“I am not.” Oliver denied vehemently. He couldn't be. He didn’t know anything about Felicity Smoak except that she was beautiful. Also, that she cared a great deal about the country and humanity in general.

“Yes, you are.” Digg argued, the smug smile turning into a devious grin, “Oh this is good. I’m gonna take some well deserved revenge for when you teased me about Lyla for years!”

“Hey! That was different. You guys got married. I was right.” Oliver protested. Diggle shrugged,

“Well, I happen to think that you and Felicity are perfect for eachother.”

“You don’t even know her!” Oliver whisper-yelled. It wasn’t a very royalty-thing to do, but under the circumstances, Oliver was sure he could be pardoned,

“Maybe not.” Diggle conceded, but continued before Oliver could get smug about it, “But, I know Sara. And Sara knows Felicity. From what I’ve heard, you two will get along great.”

“Wait, Sara knows Felicity Smoak?” Oliver frowned. Oliver had met Sara during his second year in the army, only a few months after he and Diggle had met. They had become a pretty tight-knit trio before Lyla joined them and made them a balanced four,

“Oh yeah. I hear they’re very close.” Diggle had that look on his face, that look he got just before he was about to spill some real tea, “They met in college. Sara had a crush on her. Tried to drunkenly kiss her, but Felicity had a boyfriend so they decided to remain friends instead. You’d think that would make everything awkward, but they’re somehow still best friends.”

Oliver gave Digg a weird look, “You know, John, sometimes I don’t understand how you can be a 6’2” grown ass man with tree trunks for biceps and still remind me of a 12 year old girl gossiping on her baby pink landline.”

Diggle rolled his eyes, “Don’t change the subject, Oliver. You can have a crush on someone. The world isn’t going to burn down just because you like her.”

“No. But, considering who I am, it’s not going to be as easy as you’re thinking either.” Oliver reminded him, “Besides, it’s not a crush. At best, it’s admiration. Felicity Smoak is doing some rather inspiring work.”

“Oh come on! Theo is 2 years older than you, and the crown prince. Yet, he still married Joanna. So, you know Moira and Robert don’t really care about brides having to be from blue-blooded families.”

“I don’t even know why we’re talking about this considering I don’t have a crush.” Oliver said, but hesitated before continuing, “But, even if I did have a crush, which I don’t, and it went somewhere, which it won’t, asking someone this successful to sacrifice everything they’ve made for themselves for someone as damaged as me? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Diggle shook his head in clear disagreement, but didn’t have the opportunity to argue further before they were approached by another important looking senior couple.

Oliver took a bracing breath before putting on a charming smile on his face. He needed to stop thinking about Felicity Smoak. Like he told Diggle, it didn’t make any sense. They don’t make any sense.

  
  


Felicity Smoak didn’t know a lot about Oliver Queen. After all, she was born and raised in Las Vegas in the United States, and had since then established her tech company there. Though, Smoak Tech was a multinational company at this point. In fact, this was her first time in The Kingdom of Starling, and though the royal family was extensively talked about throughout the world, Felicity had never had the time to follow their lives.

Still, somebody should’ve warned her that Oliver Queen was going to be fucking gorgeous.

She observed the prince from the corner of her eyes, knowing at some point she’ll have to go ahead and introduce herself to him. Right now, she was talking to Mr. Hanson, head of one of the many aristocratic families in Starling and trying to build up the courage to approach the royalty. Oliver Queen was possibly the most intimidating-looking man in the room, and that was saying something because the guy standing next to him was even larger than him. But, he didn’t have the same looming presence as the prince. Felicity decided she was going to take her sweet time before introducing herself.

She instead conversed with the veterans attending the event, and her company investors and potential buyers. She had been laughing politely and slightly awkwardly at a misogynistic joke that one of the many rich white old men had made when she heard a throat clear behind her. She turned around, and was surprised to see the man who was standing next to the Prince smiling at her, the prince himself standing beside him, looking stoic,

“Felicity Smoak? Hello. My name is John Diggle. Sara’s told me a lot about you.” Felicity’s smile widened at her friends name and she reached out for a hand shake,

“You know Sara? It’s a pleasure to meet you.” There was a slight awkward moment when both of them out stretched their right arms, but Felicity quickly switched her when she noticed that he kept his left snuggly in his pocket. 

“And I’m sure you know Prince Oliver?” Diggle made introductions, and Felicity blushed, feeling embarrassed,

“Barely.” She confessed, “I’m afraid I know very little about the Starling Royalty.” 

Oliver gave her a barely there smile that was more charming than genuine, but his eyes seemed to brighten at her words, “Don’t worry about it. It’s rather refreshing.”

Oliver shook hands with Felicity, feeling pleased when her face pinked again, this time with flattered pleasure rather than embarrassment. It was a good look on her. Her hands were soft against his calloused palms, thin and small and delicate against his thick and large and rough. Their hands lingered in each others almost subconsciously before Felicity looked away prettily and pulled away first,

“So, how do you know Sara?” She asked Diggle. Diggle, who was grinning at the pair of them.

“Oh. Sara and Oliver and Me and my wife were in the army together. Same unit for almost 4 years.”

“Oh! You were in the army?” Her surprise at that piece of information was genuine, and Oliver relaxed further knowing she wasn’t lying about not knowing much about him. He supposed it made sense, a woman as young as her, and as accomplished as her didn’t seem like the type to pay much attention to tabloid gossip, especially when it didn’t even involve her country.

“Oh yes. Me for 7 years and Oliver for 5. Sara is a close friend of both of ours.” Diggle said,

“It’s one of the reasons why this event was so important to both of us.” Oliver said, and felt more than saw Diggle throw a smug smirk his way. But, Oliver couldn’t bring himself to care much about it. Not when Felicity was looking vaguely impressed by him.

“Me too. My father was in the army. And so is Sara. I want to help in any way I can.” Felicity smiled slightly bitterly and shrugged almost carelessly, “I know how difficult it can be to adjust to life back home, for various reasons, and I want to make that change as easy as possible for as many as possible.”

Diggle gave the woman in front of him a warm smile, and could tell that Oliver was warming up to her just as fast. There was something about Ms. Felicity Smoak, Diggle could tell she was special. She was genuine in a way most people in her industry weren’t. And Oliver felt compelled to know more about her,

“Yes. I must confess, I didn’t understand a lot of how your electronic chips would help with the nerve damage caused during war.” Oliver asked. The entire concept had seemed too good to be true to him. 

“Well, we’re going to need funding to further our research and development, but theoretically, we can, in layman terms, replace the damaged nerves with electrical impulses generated by the chip.” Felicity shrugged casually, but Oliver could tell from the brightness in her eyes, that she was genuinely excited about the turn their conversation had taken. That borderline repressed excitement was contagious, and Oliver wondered how anyone ever took their eyes off of her whenever she talked freely about what she loved. But, then again, maybe they didn’t. Maybe everybody was just as bewitched as him when it came to Felicity Smoak. Maybe everybody felt everything else in their world melt when she talked. Maybe Felicity Smoak was just that remarkable.

“We’re trying to turn this into a non-profit project, and ensure that the final product developed is affordable to anyone who might need it. It’s one of the reasons why there are going to be plenty of fundraising events just like this in my near future.” She continued.

“That sounds amazing, Felicity.” Diggle said, side-eyeing Oliver who looked too charmed to utter a word. Diggle couldn’t blame him. Felicity was like if a bright little sun folded on itself and turned into a woman. Intense and warm and bright and chasing away the gloominess that had been clinging to you since god only knows when.

Funny, how Felicity was the one meeting a prince for the first time, but it was Oliver who was acting star-struck. 

Felicity gave them a sheepish smile, “It’s the least I can do. It’s people like the two of you who’re real heroes.” Someone on the other side of the hall caught her eye. It was Zari, motioning her to join her where she was talking with the president of Lang Industries, “Ah. That’s my cue.” She told the two men, hesitating before performing a tiny curtsy (Isn’t that something you have to do in front of royalty?) “Thank you for your services.”

Both Diggle and Oliver watched the blonde leave and join the conversation of a different group of people. They stayed silent for a moment, before Digg gave Oliver his infamous no-nonsense deadpan stare,

“You like her.” He stated. Oliver pursed his lips, knowing he couldn’t deny it even if he wanted to.

_Did he want to?_

“I do.”


	2. Hold On I Still Want You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for all the feedback and love last chapter! I'm pretty sure this work is going to be my second baby after ASABS! I'm actually really excited about it, especially since this is completely au and I can't really rely on Canon events for plot. I hope you all enjoy this as much as i am enjoying writing this!!
> 
> if you have any prompts or just want to talk, or want to know know when i update:
> 
> tumblr: [@ymnfilter](https://ymnfilter.tumblr.com)  
> twitter: [@ymnfilter](https://twitter.com/ymnfilter)
> 
> HAPPY READING!

When Felicity and Zari had finally excused themselves from Mr.Lang, they walked towards the bar, ordering a glass of red wine each, and Zari turned to direct her with a wicked look in her eyes,

“So…” Felicity blinked at her, confused,

“So?”

“Oh please, You don’t fool me, Felicity Smoak. I saw you talking with the Prince.” Zari whispered excitedly, crowding a little into the other woman’s space to make sure they weren’t heard. Felicity looked at her as if she had lost all her marbles,

“Yes. Because he’s going to be making a donation. It’s a good cause. And I didn’t know, but he’s been in the army. Five years. So, this is important to him.”

Zari hmmed, but Felicity could tell from the slight smile playing on her lips that she was unconvinced, “So, you didn’t flirt with each other at all?”

Felicity scoffed, scandalized, and swatted her arm lightly, “Of course not! He’s a  _ prince _ .”

Zari rolled her eyes, “I know that, ‘licity.” She laced her arm through her friend’s and took another sip of her wine, bringing their heads closer together before continuing, “But, I also saw the way you were looking at him. You have it bad, sweetheart.”

The blush that spread across Felicity's cheeks was instantaneous and involuntary as she thought back on her brief meeting with the Prince. She hadn’t known much about him except that he had been out of the spotlight for a few years. Hadn’t known what to expect. Maybe someone stuck-up, or arrogant or insensitive. But, Oliver had been completely different. He was understanding, and compassionate and maybe slightly stoic but also a man with gentle eyes. He had looked impressed as she had talked, and hadn’t even batted an eye when she had gone on technological tangents in between sentences. If all those things weren’t enough to get her attention, he was also attractive to boot. She had had a hard time looking away from his stupidly beautiful face even as she talked with Mr.Diggle.

Zari was smiling at her with a cheshire grin, and Felicity felt a groan built up at the back of her throat when she realised where this was probably going, 

“You should totally go and flirt with him.” Her friend suggested giddily. Felicity sighed, shook her head even as she couldn’t help but smile a little at her friend’s behaviour,

“It’s not like that, Zari. And even if it was, he’s a prince. An actual real life, has a country to rule, capital _ P _ Prince. Prince Oliver. I doubt anything will come out of it.” Felicity replied, but Zari wasn’t looking at her anymore, her gaze was directed at someone over Felicity's shoulder and her eyes were getting wider with every second. Frowning, Felicity followed her stare and turned around, breath hitching when she saw the prince walking in their direction. He stopped directly in front of Felicity, a light dusting of pink covering his cheeks as he cleared his throat. For a brief moment, he turned to look over at his shoulder, and when she followed his gaze, she saw Mr.Diggle raise a glass of champagne in their direction. Her brows reached her hairline in surprise, and she was about to say something, though only god knows what, when Oliver said,

“I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Felicity shook her head, suddenly unable to form words, but it was Zari that said, in a voice too bright, “Not at all! In fact, I see those crab cakes over there on the buffet on the other side of the hall, and they seem to be calling my name. I’ll see you later, Felicity. Or not.” As if she hadn’t been obvious enough, before she walked away, Zari sent them both a very obvious  _ wink _ .

_ Good Lord, Felicity was going to die tonight. _

Oliver cleared his throat again, and Felicity's head snapped to look back at him where she had been glaring at her friend’s back. He looked a little embarrassed, but not uncomfortable, and when he looked up to meet her eyes, there was the smallest of smiles playing on his lips. She couldn’t help but mirror it when he said,

“Hi.”

“Hello.” They stood silently after that, just looking at each other. Oliver didn’t seem to have a plan on what to say after that, he was just looking back at Felicity, a light furrow between his brows making him look like a confused puppy. Felicity couldn’t help but bite her lip, her smile threatening to turn into a wide grin.

Oliver’s gaze darted down to her mouth, and she saw his eyes darken a little even as he licked his own lips. He pressed him tight before letting them loose and letting out a small, half laugh half awkward sigh,

“I’m sorry.” He apologized, shook his head a little, “I’m not very good at this.”

Felicity tilted her head, wondering if it would be appropriate to coo at a grown man who was a prince of an entire country, “Not very good at what?” She asked him quietly. It was ridiculous. He was strong, she could tell. Tall enough that she had to crane her neck even though he was wearing five inch tall heels. He easily had almost a hundred pounds on her, but she was afraid to spook him in that moment by speaking too loud. Oliver shuffled his feet, his eyes met hers and then darted away, only to seek her out a moment later,

“I was hoping to ask you for a dance.” He said, taking a step closer and offered her a hand. She let out a short, surprised giggle, and he seemed to lighten at the sound, even giving her a full smile. She took his hand readily and watched as a little bit of tension left his shoulders,

“I would love to.”

People looked as they walked over to the dance floor. She was the CEO of Smoak tech, the host of this event. He was the Prince of this country. Of course they attracted attention. But, she kept her eyes on Oliver, and watched him do the same as they took their positions, and she let him lead her in a waltz.

“You’ll have to forgive for being a little rusty.” Oliver whispered in her ear even as he turned them around, “It’s been a while since I last danced with someone.”

Felicity hmmed, because that made sense. When do you find the time to waltz in the middle of a war,

“I suppose five years is a long time. You have a good excuse if you accidentally step on my feet.”

Oliver laughed lightly, but shook his head, “Not five. The last time I danced was probably when I was getting lessons. I was eight. It’s been a little over fifteen years.”

She blinked at him, surprised, “You haven’t danced at this sort of thing before?”

“Nope.” When he didn’t elaborate, she hesitated, but then asked,

“Why?” Oliver tilted his head slightly to look down at her and found her looking back up at him with that same quizzical look she had when he had first approached her. Her head tilted, her eyes wide, she looked so pure, he had to restrain himself from pulling her closer. Instead he gave her a half smile and bent his head down lower till there were only a scant inches between their lips,

“I’ve never met a woman I’ve wanted to dance with before.”

He could tell from the way she tensed in his arms that she was surprised, but before he could worry that maybe he had crossed a line, she looked away with a small laugh, only to look back at him with her eyes sparkling with mirth,

“For someone who had been away from civilization for five years, you are awfully smooth, Prince Oliver.” There was no accusation in her voice, only gentle teasing. And Oliver couldn’t help but feel lightened. Lighter than since he had come back home.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ms.Smoak. I’m just speaking the truth.”

And he was. Felicity could  _ tell _ . She didn’t know how. She had only met this man half an hour ago, but she  _ could _ tell. The familiarity she could feel building between them already, it wasn’t like anything she had ever experienced before. It was exhilarating as much as it was terrifying.

They danced until the song ended and then moved back to the bar. Oliver ordered himself a scotch on the rocks, and another glass of wine for Felicity. People were mingling, and Felicity knew that she should go and talk to a few more people. Convince them to write a bigger check, after all, it was for a worthy cause. But for the life of her, when Oliver looked at her like that, when he walked closer to her like that, spoke softly to her like that, she couldn't even fathom moving away from him.

“It is a good event.” Oliver said when the silence between them had stretched too long. Neither wanted to leave the other’s side so soon. But, it was too early to feel so content in silence. So, they were making small talk. Exhausting one mindless topic after another. “The guys can see you and your team put a lot of thought into it. It’s appreciated.”

And a lot of thought  _ had  _ gone in, Oliver realized, impressed with the woman standing in front of him for the nth time that night. There had been no hard or loud music. The food had been light. There was a large selection of non-alcoholic drinks and the gardens outside were open for anyone who needed to take a breather. The photographers inside too, were few and had their flashes switched off. Oliver remembered what Felicity had said about her father serving, and knowing how hard it could be to adjust to life afterwards, and realised that she probably hadn’t been exaggerating.

“Thank you.” Felicity smiled at him, “When I first completed college, I… didn’t know what I wanted to do. That was the first time in my life that I didn’t have a plan. I was going to probably just end up becoming an IT girl for some company somewhere. But then, Zari contacted me. Said she wanted to start up a company and wanted me beside her.” Felicity laughed, “It had been ambitious. Some might even call in stupid. Two girls in their early twenties trying to take over the tech world. God only knows what I was thinking when I agreed.”

“I’m glad you did.” Oliver told her softly. And when she smiled at him brightly, he found himself having to consciously inhale, lest he forget how to breathe. He turned his head to look at the crowd, finding it hard to confide while maintaining eye contact, “But, I understand what you mean. About not knowing what you wanted to do. I spent most of my life aimless. When I joined the army, I thought I had figured it all out. It had given me a purpose. A sense of belonging. But, now, I am back and I…”

“Don’t know where you belong anymore?” She finished quietly. He laughed a little, but it came out breathy and strange. Shaking his head, he straightened a little,

“I’m sorry. That was way too much information.” He said with an embarrassed smile, but Felicity was looking at him with clear eyes, as if she was looking at him for the first time.

“Don’t be.” She reassured him, and after hesitating for only half a moment, placed her hand on his forearm, “I was the one who blurted out my life story first.” When all Oliver did was smile at her gently, Felicity gathered the courage to continue, “For the record, I think you’ll find your place in the world soon enough, Prince Oliver.”

Oliver blinked, it didn’t sound right. “Just Oliver.” He told her quietly, “I don’t feel like much of a prince nowadays anyway.” Felicity bit her lip, looked unsure as she asked,

“Isn’t that a little inappropriate?” She asked hesitantly, as if she didn’t want to cross any boundaries, but she also didn’t want him to change his mind. It made Oliver smile, and he shrugged a little,

“Maybe.” He agreed, “But, I won’t tell if you won’t.”

If Felicity’s thrilled smile was anything to go by, it was the right answer, and she squeezed her hand that was still holding on to his arm, “Then you’ll have to call me Felicity too, Oliver.”

His name, just his name, coming from her lips, in her voice, suddenly felt precious. And for the first time in five years, it made Oliver grin with abandon,

“Okay then, Felicity.”

Theodore Queen was walking down the castle’s residential wing when he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening when he realised what it was that he was hearing,

_ Whistling. _

_ Oliver’s whistling. _

Hesitantly, he walked closer to the double doors that led into his younger brother’s suite and after making sure he was all alone in the hallway, he placed his ear against the oak wood.

_ If his people could see him now.  _ Theodore thought with a grimace at the picture he must make at that moment. Trying to eavesdrop outside his little brother’s door. But, this was more important than his reputation. This was more important than anything  _ ever. _

Oliver only whistled when he was  _ happy. _

Theo couldn’t remember the last time he had heard his brother whistling.

It had been much longer than five years. Even before Oliver got enlisted, Theo knew that he wasn’t really happy. Hadn’t been since he had started listening to what the people in the castle and outside said about them. About how Theodore was the crown prince and Oliver was nothing but the spare heir. Their parents did nothing to dispel that notion, treating Theo like the golden child no matter how hard Oliver tried to make them proud. Somewhere along the way, Oliver just… stopped trying. Becoming the wild child people expected him to be. He seemed to feed on people’s disappointment. Getting worse with every tabloid headline and argument with their father till the King couldn’t take it anymore and ordered him to join the army. Theo had tried to salvage their relationship during those years, but despite his best efforts, they had grown distant.

But, Oliver was back now. And though the progress was slow, they were slowly finding their way back to each other, Oliver having become a lot less reckless than he used to be. But, he had also grown quiet since his return, and stoic. Theo could barely recognize his impish brother in the man that had returned. But this?

The whistling?

It was such a harmless happy Oliver trait, Theodore was half convinced he was hallucinating.

As it was, when the whistling continued even after he had placed his ear against the door, Theo, feeling excited, knocked urgently before opening the door without waiting for an answer,

Oliver was standing in the middle of his suite, shirtless and in sweatpants, a shirt in hands. The TV was playing on mute, a young woman giving what looked to be a press conference from the podium she was standing behind and the number of camera flashes that were catching against herself on the screen. 

“Hey.” Theo smiled lightly, “Whatcha doing?” He was dying to find out what had put his brother in such a good mood, but he also didn’t want Oliver to close off and change the subject.

Oliver shrugged, but looked back at the woman on the screen. Theo looked more closely, realising that she was familiar. The news ticker at the bottom of the screen telling him that the woman was Felicity Smoak, the CEO of Smoak Technologies. Theo’s eyes lit up as he remembered, the fundraiser Oliver had attended today.

“I trust the fundraising event you attended today with John went well?” He asked, only slightly slyly,

_ Bingo. _

Theo smiled as he watched Oliver avert his eyes suddenly, a light blush spreading over his nose bridge even as he cleared his throat. It was surprising, how affected his brother was acting, considering this was the first time he had probably met this Felicity Smoak, but at the moment, Theo couldn’t do anything but feel happy for his brother and grateful for the woman who had made him feel light enough to whistle again,

“It was nice.” Oliver said, his tone, as he spoke, was clipped even though Theo could tell from the compact way he was holding himself, from the intense happy energy that was enveloping him, that it was a lot more than just  _ nice.  _ “Felicity Smoak is a remarkable woman.”

Theo blinked. He didn’t remember the last time his brother had described the girl to him without using the words hot, or big boobs. He could never have imagined that Oliver would look at a woman and find her  _ remarklable.  _

“I see. Then I presume the royal family made a sizable donation to her research.”

“Yes. And so did most of the aristocrats that attended.” Oliver’s lips twitched in the beginnings of a smile, as if he was hiding a secret within himself, “She is also very charming.”

Remarkable. Charming.

_ Who was this woman and what had she done to his brother?” _

Theo watched his brother fiddle with the fabric of his shirt, his gaze too engrossed in the way his fingers fiddled with soft material. He gave Theo a look, and if it was anyone else but Oliver Queen, Theo might have called the man  _ shy- _

He wondered if maybe by crossing the threshold into Oliver’s room, he had entered an alternate reality of some sort,

“Well, she definitely has  _ you  _ charmed.” He observed and then walked over to take a seat on Oliver’s couch, “I have seen you so…  _ besotted _ with someone before.”

Oliver frowned, “It’s not like that.” Theo raised an eyebrow, letting Oliver know silently that he really didn’t sound all that convincing, and his little brother sighed, “Okay, so it’s a little like that. But, it’s not really going to go anywhere. I doubt we’ll see each other again.”

“Then go find her. You should ask her out, Ollie.” Oliver grimaced, the idea at the same time sounding too appealing and too impossible,

“I’m not really in a very good headspace to date someone, Theo.”

When Theo said nothing in response for a moment, Oliver thought that it was because he had made a valid point. But, then he stood up, walked closer till he was standing in front of his brother, and placed both his hands on Oliver’s bare shoulders. His scars and injuries were sometimes still too hard for Theo to look at. A visual proof that someone had hurt his brother terribly, and he had been safe and all too far away to do anything about it. He couldn’t turn back time and beg Oliver to not go. But this? Making sure his brother held on to every possibility of happiness? This, he could do.

“If we had been talking about any other woman, I might have agreed with you.” He told Oliver, then gave him a small, sad smile, “But,  _ this  _ woman makes you  _ happy.  _ You may not be in a good headspace right now, but maybe Felicity is someone you need to heal.”

The silence he received in answer told him everything he needed to know,

“You don’t think it’s unfair to her?” Oliver asked quietly, “Just because I feel lighter when I’m around her, doesn’t mean she should be saddled with my baggage.”

“It’s not- I’m not asking you to make a commitment, Ollie. Just ask her out on a date. See where it goes. It might not go anywhere. But if it does work out-”

“If it works out then what?”

“Then it’s up to her if she wants to put up with your dumbass or not.” Theo teased, effectively shattering the serious mood they had built with an easy smile and a wink. Oliver scoffed, batted away his brother’s hands with glare and pulled on his shirt before turning away and switching of the TV, now showcasing the weather report,

“Good night, Theo.” Oliver called out as he started walking towards his bedroom, Theo’s laughter making it hard to keep a straight face.

“Ollie,”

“What?”

“For the record, I still think, whoever ends up with you, they’ll be really lucky.”

Another moment of silence, Oliver turned to see his brother looking back at him seriously. He gulped, didn’t want to contradict him even though he really didn’t agree with the sentiment,

“Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHH THEY ARE SO SMITTEN I LOVE THEM!! also, let's talk about Theo. He's MY first original character who is so involved with the plot. And yes, I gender bended Thea because Oliver needed a big brother and I didn't want to just erase Thea from existence. I hope you guys like him he's a babie ><
> 
> as always, feedback and kudos are always appreciated.
> 
> tumblr: [@ymnfilter](https://ymnfilter.tumblr.com)  
> twitter: [@ymnfilter](https://twitter.com/ymnfilter)


	3. Lost In Your Current Like A Priceless Wine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a while since i've uploaded. so long in fact, that you could probably just treat this like a new story lmao. i hope you like it ;)
> 
> if you want to know when i update, or just want to read me rant, you can follow me on:
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> tumblr: [@ymnfilter](https://ymnfilter.tumblr.com)  
> twitter: [@ymnfilter](https://twitter.com/ymnfilter)
> 
> HAPPY READING!

Deciding that he wanted to ask Felicity Smoak on a date, and actually asking out Felicity Smoak on a date were two very completely different things, Oliver mused thoughtfully. That woman was on every news station, was the topic of every daytime talk show, was under the scrutiny of every celebrity gossip channel, being either praised or criticized by the people of Starling who either hailed her as some sort of a savior or accused her of trying to dupe them with promises of technology too good to be true. She was everywhere, and yet, Oliver had no idea how to get in touch with her.

He should have asked her for her number that day. The old Oliver, the man who he was before war, would’ve done it without hesitation. The man he was now had been too nervous to even flirt. But then again, something told him Felicity Smoak wouldn’t have been remotely as charmed with playboy Ollie Queen’s antics as she had seemed to be with his honesty.

Oliver looked back at the royal documents he had been going through before his thoughts had inevitably gone back to that night of the fundraiser and the pretty blonde. Ever since he had come back, he had slowly started taking more responsibilities at the palace. The childish rebellion was gone, and so was the desperate need to make his father proud. Now, everything that Oliver did, he did for his people. After protecting them for five years from the borders, he was now trying his best to keep them happy and satisfied from inside the palace walls. The paperwork also gave him something to do after he’d gotten used to the demanding regiment of the army. He was good at it, and could often spend hours in the study, just approving events and circulars that came in everyday, but today he found himself getting restless. The excess energy making him fidget in his seat. He pursued his lips as he read the same sentence thrice, and nearly sighed in relief when his cellphone rang beside him,

“Oliver Queen.” He greeted, not bothering to check the caller id. He rarely did.

“Hey,” Diggle’s voice came from the other end, “Lyla told me to tell you you’re expected at dinner tonight. Seven o’clock.”

Oliver raised a brow, “What’s the occasion?”

“Nothing. It’s just family. Besides, it’s been too long. Baby Sarah misses her godfather.”

At the mention of John’s year old baby, Oliver felt himself soften. That tiny infant was quite possibly the most precious thing in Oliver’s life. She was the most precious person in a lot of people’s lives. John and Lyla. Him and Sara. They all loved her to bits.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Digg.” He said, already putting all the relevant documents back in their folders and getting up, “I’ll get cake on the way.”

John laughed, “And this is exactly why you are her favorite uncle.”

“I’m her only uncle.” 

“Whatever man, get your ass at the house by 7.”

Oliver packed up after hanging up with Digg, and walked back to the residential wing of the palace, so that he could change out of his suit jacket and into something more casual. Dinner with the Diggles were always relaxing, and they had been a sort of a saving grace when he had first gotten back home. They rarely ever talked about their time in the army during dinner, but there was always a sense of camaraderie between the four of them anyway. And for Oliver, who had slowly let almost all his pre-army friends go, the company was always welcome.

‘Sweet Teeth’ was a local bakery 10 minutes out from the Diggle residence and made baby Sarah’s favorite mint chocolate cake. She always got ridiculously happy everytime Oliver showed up with the box from the bakery, and in return it made him feel giddy at her precious reaction. The idea that he could make someone as small as her so happy made him feel lighter every time. Oliver parked his car in front of the store, partly regretting his decision to drive himself when he saw people recognise his car, but he rarely liked being driven in towncars. That was especially true for when the appointments were informal and personal. 

He sighed before he opened the car doors, bracing himself for the flashes that accompanied him everytime he showed his face in public. Five years in the army had led to at least one good thing though, he had apparently adopted a fairly intimidating aura around him, and the people who five years ago would have been clamoring for his attention, rarely ever approached him directly now.

Baby Sarah’s cake in hand, and only having to talk to a few elderly people on his way in and out of the shop, Oliver drove over to John’s. Ringing the doorbell and smiling slightly when he heard high pitched squeals and tiny waddling footsteps coming from the other side, 

John opened the door, a greeting ready on his lips, but before he could, Baby Sarah squeezed through his legs and ran over to throw herself around Oliver’s knee, giggling helplessly when Oliver made and exaggerated ‘oomph’ sound and pretended to stumble back a few steps,

“Look at you, munchkin!” He exclaimed, crouching down so that she could loop her arms around his neck. With one hand still holding on to the cake, Oliver wrapped the other securely around the toddler and picked her up effortlessly. Between him, John, Sarah and Lyla and their ridiculous upper body strengths, baby Sarah was used to being picked up and carried around as if she were as light as a feather, and Oliver enjoyed being used as a monkey bar for his god daughter. The amount of trust she had in him to keep him safe still overwhelmed him sometimes, “Oh my, did you grow taller  _ again _ ?”

Sarah laughed, “Uh-huh.”

“I can tell. Soon enough you’ll be even taller than me or your daddy.” He told her seriously, and watched helplessly as she giggled harder at his mock-horrified tone. 

“Okay, Sarah, can we let Uncle Oliver come in now?” John asked, interrupted their reunion, ushering Oliver inside and taking the cake box discreetly so that Sarah couldn’t see it yet. No doubt she’ll refuse dinner if she caught even a whiff of mint-chocolate, and nobody wanted to piss Lyla off with a Sarah Diggle tantrum.

“Sara already here?” Oliver asked, placing baby Sarah back on the floor to remove his winter coat and hang it over the rack on the foyer,

“Yeah. And the table’s all set. We were just waiting on you.”

“Sorry about that. The traffic was horrible tonight.” Oliver replied sheepishly, even as he entered the kitchen. The ladies were nursing a glass of red each and Oliver greeted them both with a kiss on the cheek before taking own place on the table. 

John had been telling him how Lyla had started experimenting with cooking now that Sarah was getting old enough that she didn’t require her constant time and attention, and she really had out-done herself with the menu. Oliver had always been partial to Italian, and the giant bowl of garlic bread and stuffed ravioli was doing wonders to remind him how he had missed lunch that day.

“Oh, this is great, Lyla.” He groaned after a bite of mushroom and cheese ravioli, and Lyla laughed, thinking he was exaggerating, but really, he was not.

“That is high praise coming from you, Chez Oliver.” She replied, and sent him an amused smile, “but I’m afraid I can’t take all the credit. Baby Sarah was my sous chef tonight. The mushy cheese is all her.”

“Ah, the most beautiful assistant in the world.” Oliver grinned, and booped Sarah’s nose where he was sitting across from him on her high chair, “I especially love the mushy cheese.”

Sarah laughed, dribbling bits of cheese and tomato sauce, sans pasta and he felt the eyes of all the rest of his friends on him as he picked up a napkin and brushed the food off of her tiny, soft mouth.

“You know, Oliver, you are very good with her.” Lyla mused, in a tone of voice that was anything but subtle, “Ever thought of getting one of your own?”

Oliver raised a dubious eyebrow at her, “Baby Sarah is a baby, Lyla. Not a pet. I can’t go and get one whenever I feel like it. Not to mention, I think I’m best as the fun uncle.”

“I disagree.” John said, taking a sip of his beer before continuing, “You’re great with kids. Whenever it does happens for you, Oliver, I know that you will be a great dad.”

Oliver rolled his eyes even as he tried not to squirm at the compliment. Kids. Oliver would be lying if he’d never thought about having them before, but especially since Baby Sarah was born. But, like he said, it’s not like he could buy a baby at a pound store. Oliver had never had a long term relationship before. Never been in love. Before the army it was because he was young and rich and reckless and thought that things like commitment and stability were something he should run far, far away from. After the army- well, he hadn’t met anyone who would interest him since he came back.

Unbeknownst to him, an image of golden blonde hair and a blinding smile popped up in his mind, and Oliver shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought before it took root in his brain. 

That was a dangerous line of thought.

“Don’t you guys think you’re jumping the gun here a bit? I don’t even have a girlfriend.” He said and then immediately wished he could take it back when John smirked at him triumphantly.

Dammit.

“Now that you mention it,” Digg started casually, “Whatever did happen between you and Felicity Smoak?”

Sara looked up from her plate, suddenly extremely interested in the conversation. Lyla and John were sharing a secret smile over their raviolis and Oliver glared at them both. It had been a trap. And he had fallen for it hook, line and sinker.

“Felicity?” Sara asked him, eyes narrowed a little in curiosity, “You met Felicity? When?”

“It was that gala me and Oliver attended yesterday.” Diggle continued before he could say anything, “Home boy’s been smitten ever since.”

“Okay- ‘ _ smitten _ ’ is a bit much-” Oliver tried to object, but Sara wasn’t paying attention to him anymore. Her eyes were on John, sparkling at the prospect of juicy gossip,

“Really? Huh. I never really gave it much thought, but now that I am, you two will be good for eachother.”

Oliver went to object again, but then paused. Took in Sara’s sincere smile and chewed on his lip a bit in contemplation. She was close with Felicity, wasn’t she? And Sara knew him pretty well too. If anybody would have an idea of weather or not they would be compatible with each other, it would be her,

“Really?” He found himself asking instead. Because, yes. Felicity Smoak had completely stolen all of his attention during that fundraiser and then all his thoughts ever since that night all by being herself, and though he hadn’t let himself think about it for too long, she had seemed interested in him too, hadn’t she? She had danced with him. They had talked. He had seen her blush a couple of times. The light pink dusting across her cheeks only serving to make her look even more adorable.

Sara grinned at the look on his face and shook her head, “You’re right, John. The boy’s a goner.”

Oliver blushed, then turned his attention to his food even as everybody around the table laughed, including baby Sarah, though Oliver was sure the toddler couldn’t understand a fraction of what was being said. He mock-glared at his god daughter at the sight of her betrayal, but it only served to make Sarah giggle louder. Oliver sighed, exasperated,

“I hate each and every one of you.” He grumbled, then stuffed another mouthful of ravioli to avoid pouting.

The topics had shifted over to something more generic and lighter than Oliver’s lack of love life by the time dinner ended and Oliver was smiling widely by the time he and Sara said good night to the Diggles. They turned around and walked down the driveway in companionable silence, Sara humming a familiar tune he couldn’t for the life of him remember. 

“Do you want her number?” She asked out of the blue and Oliver stopped, gulping a little because he knew exactly she was talking about. Sara took two more steps then turned around to look up at him, her expression series, though her eyes were lit with happy amusement.

“Felicity’s?” He asked unnecessarily in lieu of an answer. Sara rolled her eyes, 

“I’m surprised you haven’t asked me for it yourself yet. It’s not like you to not pursue someone you are interested in.”

“I’ve changed a lot in the past five years.” Oliver reminded her, not that she needed reminding. Sarah was one of the few people who had seen Oliver’s development from the beginning. She knew how much he had improved and how much darker and damaged he had gotten over the years.

“Everybody has, Oliver. That’s what happens when time passes. People grow up.”

And well, that was true. Sara had changed a lot too. Gone was the innocent, lively wild girl he had met at the start of their first tour almost five years ago. Now, she was a ridiculously strong and intelligent woman with her own set of demons. They were alike in a lot of ways, Sara and him. She understood him in ways not even John could. It was one of the reasons why they were such good friends. And why Oliver would never even accidentally cross that boundary that they had established after their first year of fooling around. 

This was better.

“I know.” He looked down at his shoes, and took a deep breath. It was time to take a leap, he supposed. One that could potentially change his life forever. He hesitated. It wasn’t just his life though, was it? He was the Prince of Starling. Felicity’s life would flip completely upside down if she agreed to go out with him. Out of the two of them, shouldn’t it be her whose decision it should be?

“Do you think-” He started, then nervously rubbed the back of his neck, god, he couldn’t remember the last time he was so nervous that the prospect of asking a girl out, “Do you think you could give her my number instead? Whenever the two of you meet. Tell her she can text me if she wants. Or she can just forget it if she isn’t interested.”

Sarah looked up at him, her face blank and he wondered what she was thinking. After a moment, she nodded, then grinned,

“I’m meeting up with her tomorrow for brunch. We haven’t been able to get together since she came over to Starling.” Sara gave him a sharp pat on his back, and Oliver, caught off-guard, this time didn’t have to pretend to stumble. He rolled his eyes when she laughed, but smiled slightly when she kissed his cheek goodbye before getting into her own car.

Oliver sighed, feeling himself lighten a little even as apprehension took over him. He was hoping to hear from Felicity. But, if dating a celebrity was hard then dating a royalty was ten times worse. When she did say yes-though- if she said yes, Oliver promised himself he would stop holding back.

Felicity Smoak was a smart woman. If she chose to give Oliver a chance, then he would be all but helpless to follow her lead.

><

Felicity Smoak was the sunniest person Sara had ever known. They had met and become friends in college when they shared a student housing apartment and despite having practically nothing in common with each other, Sara had fallen in love with her.

Or well, at the time, it had felt a lot like love. But, Sara’s entire college experience was spent either partying, suffering through the hangovers because of said parties, or in a haze of sleepless nights and caffeine during exam times. And Felicity, ever dependable, beautiful, clever as they come, Felicity had stayed with her through all of it. No wonder Sara had fallen for her, and fallen for her hard.

It wasn’t until Cooper came into the picture that Sara gave up on that unrequited love. Cooper Sheldon was Felicity’s first love. And despite how much that pretty boy irritated Sara, both because Felicity deserved so much better than that douchebag but also because Sara was insanely jealous of him for getting the girl she had been dreaming of for years, she had stuck by her friend and all the changes she went through while dating him.

Brown hair dyed to black with purple streaks, coral pink lipstick traded in for a darker, almost navy blue. Short skirts and pretty floral blouses thrown away to make space for tight, ripped black jeans and band tees she had never even heard of before. Sarah knew she was rebelling. Against her mother, against her life in Vegas, hell, against the entire world. And still, none of those dark clothes and make up could hide that golden heart of hers. She was still as loving with Sara as before. Still as dependable. Still the best of friends.

So when Cooper was finally out of their lives and Felicity had almost reverted back to her own self, only this time, with a blonder head of hair, Sara kissed her. 

They were drunk, and it was New Years and they only had a few months before graduation, before Sara enlisted herself, and she hadn't wanted any regrets. So, she had kissed her.

It had been just as awkward between them the next morning as Sara had feared, but it hadn’t lasted long. She had apologized and Felicity had stuttered and stumbled her way through her ‘I’m flattered-but-straight’ speech, after which, she had practically forced Sara to come with her to brunch where they talked about everything else but last night’s party.

And so, that had been the end of that chapter. Sara fell in love a few more times after that. A woman named Nyssa she met at one of the campsites during her second tour. Another woman called Ava who worked as an intelligence agent for the FBI. Both those affairs burned bright and strong and fizzled away just as fast. Being in the army made it really hard to form healthy romantic relationships. John and Lyla were a miracle, she always thought. But, Sara wasn’t in the army anymore. She had decided to give up that bubble for a much bigger world, and was now working for the royal security alongside Digg.

Sara may not be in love at the moment. But, she had her closest companions in Oliver and John and Lyla, and she had her best friend Felicity. For the moment, that was enough. 

When Sara entered the Norma’s Eatery the next day, Felicity was already there, seated at one of the two person tables near the back of the restaurant with a mimosa in hand and another scrolling through her tablet. She was dressed in an oversized knit grey sweater, thick dark jeans and soft brown ankle boots, her winter coat folded over the back of her seat. She looked up when the restaurant’s welcome bell rang and smiled widely when she saw it was Sara.

She waved before making her way over and pressed a kiss on the other woman’s cheek before taking a seat, 

“Hey. Did you order already?”

“Not yet. Just the mimosa.” Felicity said, just as a waiter appeared next to their table with two menus, “It’s been a while since we caught up. How’s your new job treating you?”

Sara snorted a little under her breath, “You mean my job protecting Starling’s royalty? Surprisingly cushy. I’m still pretty low on the totem pole.”

They ordered. A plate egg and hash brown waffle and a croissant club sandwich for Sara while Felicity opted for blueberry and banana pancakes with a side of maple sauce and a cinnamon roll muffin.

“You have a palette of a five year old.” Sara told her in her no nonsense tone as soon as the waiter left for their food and Felicity smiled sheepishly,

“It’s been a crazy few days with Smoak Tech, I happen to think I deserve this.”

“Speaking of Smoak Tech, how did the fundraiser go? That was this week wasn’t it?” Sara asked nonchalantly, even as she brought Felicity's mimosa up for a sip.

“Oh, it was nice.”

“Nice?” She raised a brow, “How  _ nice  _ was a business fundraiser that it is making you blush like that?”

Felicity’s eyes widened, and she raised her hands to her warm cheeks, “What are you talking about?”

Sara smirked, “I had dinner with The Diggles and Oliver yesterday.”

“...oh.” 

Felicity was fidgeting. It wasn’t an unusual sight. For someone as beautiful and smart and confident as herself, Felicity got nervous a lot. It was still adorable though.

“Yes, oh. So, want to tell me about the gala now?”

There food arrived, and Sara watched silently as Felicity played with her food, chewing on her bottom lip as she considered her words,

“There really wasn’t all that much to it, honestly.” She said at last, eyes still on her plate, “We talked, he asked me to dance, we talked a bit more. Then I had to go back to making rounds and he obviously had plenty of people coming over to talk to him.”

“Hmm. But you like him.”

Felicity looked up at her, “Is that insane? It is, isn’t it? I mean, he’s like an actual prince. An actual prince of an actual country. And I’m-”

“Please don’t finish that sentence.” Sara interrupted her, recognising her friend’s self deprecating tone for what it was, “Felicity, you are wonderful. You’ve got the beauty and the brains and everything in between. Anybody in the entire world would be lucky to have you.”

She blushed, because of course she did. Felicity didn’t take compliments well. She wasn’t used to them. She shook her head, smiled a little ruefully,

“Yes well, you have to say that. You’re my best friend. You’re biased.”

“Anybody who thinks differently isn’t worth your time. And Oliver certainly thinks so.”

Felicity jerked a little in surprise at that, “He mentioned me?”

Sara’s smirk was smug, “You featured very heavily in our dinner conversation.”

“Oh.” Her hand went over to smooth some pieces of her hair that had fallen from her loose bun, “Did he- what did you talk about?”

“He likes you, ‘licity.” When Felicity said nothing to that, Sara continued, “I asked him if he wanted your number.”

Felicity looked back at her, eyes wide, “Did you give it to him?”

“He refused.”

Something deflated a little in her chest, and Felicity pursued her lips against the disappointment. Of course he didn’t want her number. Why would he? They might have connected a bit at the fundraiser but clearly it was mostly just her imagining things that weren’t there-

“He asked me to give you his.”

“What?” She blinked, coming back from her mini spiral. Sara sat across from her, her head resting on her hand as she looked at Felicity with soft eyes,

“He wanted it to be your choice. He didn’t want to make you feel pressured to say yes. This way, you can either get in touch with him or not. Your choice.”

Felicity looked down at her pancakes, uneaten and cooling by the second. This… didn’t really change anything at all. He was still a prince. She was still just the owner of an up and coming company. They were clearly from two completely different worlds. But, if she had learned only one thing about Oliver in the past few days, it was-

“He’s very kind, isn’t he?” She thought aloud, “He’s a good man.”

Sara’s lips briefly twitched up in a soft smile, “Yes, he is.”

Felicity took a deep breath. A leap of faith. That’s what this was. Something that could potentially change her entire life. It was the second time she had had to make a decision of this magnitude in her young life. The first one had led to Smoak Tech, her brain child. She was hoping this would lead to something just as wonderful.

“Okay. Okay, give me his number.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can i just say, i love the relationship that meghan markle and prince harry have. it's equal. it's balanced. and they are so very clearly in love. i've never been the type of girl to follow the royal family, but i've been near obbessed with them because of how fairytale like their story is.
> 
> that said, the relationship between oliver and felicity will probably end up being different. i hope you love it just as much as i love meghan and harry. 
> 
> as always, kudos and comments are always _always_ appreciated.
> 
> tumblr: [@ymnfilter](https://ymnfilter.tumblr.com)  
> twitter: [@ymnfilter](https://twitter.com/ymnfilter)
> 
> P.S. I know there wasn't all that much Felicity in this chapter, but if you are interested, [this](https://ymnfilter.tumblr.com/post/639304119267540992/felicitys-outfit-in-chapter-3-of-you-should-see) is what she was wearing.


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